


See Me

by ragewerthers



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F3S, Fluff, Gen, Ignis just needs a hug!, Whump, Young Cor, tiny ignis, tiny noctis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21679642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragewerthers/pseuds/ragewerthers
Summary: It was perhaps the worst day in Ignis's little life.  It seemed like everything was going wrong.  Why couldn't anyone just see him and notice how upset he was?  See him and try to help?Why couldn't someone just see him?
Relationships: Cor Leonis & Ignis Scientia
Comments: 18
Kudos: 118





	See Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bgn846](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/gifts).



> This is the second prompt I just couldn't turn down for my friend bgn846 for our f3s!!! 
> 
> The prompt was little Ignis meeting Cor or Clarus for the first time and what the meeting would be like! My brain ran away with a bit more whump then I thought, but I still hope it's an enjoyable read!
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr at ragewerthers.tumblr!
> 
> Enjoy! :D

Today had to be one of the  _ worst _ days of six year old Ignis’s life.

So many things had gone wrong in such a short span of time.

Why couldn’t anybody see him? See just how hard he was working or ask him about his missteps? All day it had felt like he either made a blunder… or was merely overlooked.

First he had mixed up his school work and the tutor had snapped at him for making such an easy mistake. ‘ _ Wasn’t he supposed to be more aware than that? An Adviser can’t afford to make these sorts of little mistakes _ .’ Ignis had nodded and pretended like the words didn’t hurt. He would just try harder and strive to do better... even if he had stayed up late to finish all the extra work he was given. It was okay.

Ignis could handle it.

Then came lunchtime, Ignis had waited patiently outside his Uncles office. Only the man didn’t show. His Uncle had sent someone to let Ignis into the room and let him know that he couldn’t join his nephew today. A meeting had run over late and he sent his apologies and a note saying he would definitely see him for dinner. Ignis tucked the note inside his little vest and pretended like he hadn’t been looking forward to spending some time with his Uncle who he hadn’t seen properly in a few days. The man was busy and it gave Ignis an idea of what was to come. Tucking the extra cookie he had brought for his Uncle into the corner of his lunchbox he finished his sandwich alone in the man’s office. It was okay.

Ignis could handle it. 

Then came his time with Noctis. The Prince had refused to listen to him about the game they had been playing. He was obviously making up his own rules and rules were meant to be followed, weren’t they? Wasn’t it his job to teach Noctis these things and show him the right way? So Ignis had tried to explain that no… certain pieces couldn’t just jump ahead five spaces and no… he couldn’t just take however many cards he wanted on his turn. However, with every rule he tried to correct it only seemed to make Noctis more and more angry until finally…

_ “No! I wanna play this way! You… you’re being stupid and m-mean and dumb! I wish… I wish you’d g-go away!” _ Noctis had cried out before the four year olds strong emotions had taken over. He’d pushed over their board game and burst into tears creating the loudest racket Ignis had ever heard.

The next thing Ignis knew, the door to the playroom was being quickly opened and nanny and King Regis were rushing inside. Both grown ups were wearing a look of panic and trying to figure out what was going on as Noctis wailed in the middle of the room surrounded by his board game pieces.

“Ignis? Ignis what is the meaning of this?!” Nanny had instantly scolded, taking a step forward.

It wasn’t okay.

Ignis couldn’t handle it.

Before either of the grown up’s could say anything, before Ignis could hear another scolding word or could see the disappointment in the King’s face he did the only thing he could think of.

He ran.

Ignoring the calls of his name, Ignis ran and ran and ran until he didn’t think his legs could carry him a step further.

_ Why did it feel like he couldn’t do anything right? _

_ Why did it feel like no matter how much he was trying it wasn’t enough? _

_ Why did it feel like he was only seen for his mistakes? _

Tears began to blur his vision as he ran around another corner and found himself in a small courtyard filled with trees, flowers and grass. Still, the beauty of the place was easily lost in his frantic bid to get away.

Before long his legs couldn’t keep up their momentum and he slowed down, ducking behind a few chrysanthemum bushes and plopping down on the ground. He drew his knees up to his chest, trying to catch his breath as tears continued to prick at his eyes.

_ He wished he was home. _

_ He wished he had his stuffed moogle, Teacake. _

_ He wished his Uncle was there with him and most of all… _

_ He wished someone would just see him and understand how tough it was! _

Burying his face into his knees he finally let his tears fall, no longer having to act like the little adult everyone expected of him.

“Hey? Hey, kid? You alright?”

A gruff voice instantly startled Ignis. His head snapping up from where he was hidden against his knees to find piercing blue eyes staring back at him. A tough and rugged looking soldier was peering at him from over the bushes he had hidden behind and had claimed as his haven. The man wasn’t quite as old as King Regis, but he looked ten times scarier.

Being caught in this moment of weakness and feeling so miserable did nothing to stop his tears and Ignis found himself apologizing over and over again.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry I… I’m s-s-sorry!” he stammered, trying to wipe his eyes quickly to hide his childish tears.

“Woah! Easy there, kid. What are you apologizing for?” the man asked, looking equal parts worried and uneasy. He carefully made his way around the flower bushes, moving slowly as if that might keep the kid from taking off like a terrified chipmunk.

Ignis sniffled miserably and pushed his glasses up as he wiped at his eyes now red-rimmed and puffy.

“F-For crying and… and m-making Noct angry and… and his M-Majesty angry and… tut-tutor angry,” he listed off between quiet sobs.

Ignis missed the look of shock over his words and after a moment the soldier knelt in front of him.

“That’s… quite a list of people you got angry at you,” he began, getting a miserable little hiccuped sob for his troubles and wincing at the noise. “What on Eos did you do, kid?”

The soldier carefully took a seat across from Ignis, folding his legs as he tried to look as un-intimidating as possible. Something he had been told countless times that he was incapable of doing.

Ignis watched the man warily, hiccuping a little as he tried to keep his tears at bay.

“My… my Uncle told me n-not to talk to strangers…. Sir,” Ignis said quietly, still minding his manners even as this man sat in front of him.

“Oh… right… well… your Uncle is definitely right there. He’s Cartus Scientia, isn’t he?” he asked and Ignis’s eyes widened.

“H-How did you…?”

“Your accent, your eyes and the way you can’t help to mind your manners around everyone… even people you don’t know. Definitely family traits,” the soldier listed off, though he offered the kid a little smile. “That must mean that you’re Ignis, his nephew. My names Cor… Cor Leonis. I’m the Marshal here in the Crownsguard.”

Ignis’s eyes instantly widened. He’d heard about Cor long before he’d even come to the Citadel. The man was a legend and to see him there sitting in the grass with him… Ignis wondered if he would get in trouble for that too!

“Oh! Oh, Mr. Cor Marshal! Please you… you don’t have to sit there! I’m sorry!” Ignis gasped, scrambling to get up to try and find them more suitable seating. He couldn’t let  _ thee _ Cor Leonis sit in the dirt!

Cors eyes widened at the sudden mood change and shook his head, reaching out to rest a hand on the young boys shoulder. “Steady there, Ignis. It’s alright. You have nothing to apologize for. I sat down here on my own, didn’t I?” he asked and the young boy seemed to sag under the gaze, frowning and biting his lower lip.

“O-Only because I was… you were… trying to make me f-feel better,” he muttered and Cor’s eyebrows rose.

“Oh… you… yeah,” he agreed, surprised at how adeptly this… child had read him. If memory served, the kid was only around Gladio’s age and even Gladio wasn’t that perceptive. “I um… thought I might be a bit too intimidating if I didn’t.”

“It’s okay. You w-were still kinda…  _ kind of _ scary even when sitting,” Ignis said honestly, correcting his own grammar as Cor bit back a chuckle.

The kid didn’t talk or act how most kids his age did. He had been around Gladio and Noctis enough to know. He was more aware of his surroundings, held himself with a different sort of aire. Literally as if he had been trained to act as a mini-adult.

That didn’t sit quite right with the Marshal somehow.

“Well… since I’m scary either way… we can always go and find a nice bench to sit on,” he offered, watching as Ignis’s cheeks flushed up. He held up a hand as he saw the kid opening his mouth again and shook his head. “No apologies. You’re right. I’m an intimidating person and I have to be. Don’t apologize for being right… or for being honest, okay?”

Ignis instantly closed his mouth at that and nodded, looking down at the ground. Cor frowned as he watched the kid and stood up, brushing a few pieces of grass from his trousers as he looked around.

“There’s a bench right over there. Why don’t we go and get comfortable and then you can tell me how one small kid managed to get so many people angry at him?” he offered, a little smile still on his lips as he led the way, Ignis following behind him like a sad baby duckling.

It wasn’t long before they were settled on the bench, a little closer to the entrance. It was close enough to watch a few people meandering along the hallways though still allowed them the chance to enjoy the peace of the Citadel gardens. Though the peace was still lost on the little boy who looked like he had a rain cloud over his head.

It had taken everything in Cors power not to help Ignis take a seat as he scrambled up onto the bench. Judging by the way the kid carried himself it wouldn’t have been appreciated in the slightest. As they both finally settled into their seats he turned to take in the downcast expression, the tear stained cheeks and the way the poor kid was curling in on himself like he wished he could disappear.

Cor suddenly found that he wasn’t quite sure how to start this conversation. The kid acted like a little adult and yet… in this moment he seemed just like any other miserable six year old. How does a person talk to someone like that?

He didn’t have to ponder long as a shaky breath instantly had his attention focused back on Ignis.

“I… I’m sorry… again for troubling you, Sir,” Ignis began, his voice quiet. Cor frowned deeply at that, but before he could tell the little retainer that he hadn’t done anything wrong Ignis continued on. “I… I shouldn’t have ran away like… like I did. It was… childish of me.”

Cor had to bite back a comment at that. ‘ _You are a child_ ’ he thought, but he knew there was more to come.

Ignis took his silence as a chance to continue and closed his eyes as he took a little shuddered breath.

“But… but early today I got tutor angry at me because I didn’t turn in the right work, but… but I really,  _ really _ did try, Sir! I even stayed up past when Uncle told me to go to bed, but I… I did the wrong lesson. And… and then I thought I’d get to have lunch with Uncle, but he was busy so I… I went to go look after the Prince like I’m supposed to, but… he… he was playing a game wrong and… and when I tried to teach him the rules he got angry at me and told me he wished I… I’d go away and then… and… and then…,” Ignis’s little face scrunched up as tears appeared in his eyes once more and he sniffled. “Th-Then nanny and the K-King came in and they… they were gonna get upset at me for doing my job wrong and… and up-upsetting the Prince and… and I just wanted to do a good job, but I didn’t and now everyone is m-mad at me and… and I just… I want my U-Uncle and I want Teacakes and I… I want to be better, but I keep messing up and making people angry!”

With that last little outburst, Ignis brought his hands up to cover his face as a choked little sob broke free from his chest.

Cor couldn’t take seeing this kid looking so miserable and upset and just like he would’ve done for Gladio he wrapped an arm around the tiny tot and pulled him into his side. Ignis easily turned into the offered comfort, hiding his face against Cors side and crying quietly into his coat.

“That… definitely sounds like a tough day, Ignis,” he said quietly, carefully pulling his phone from his pocket and sending a quick text to Regis while the poor kid continued to get out all the hurt and sadness he had harbored all day.

After receiving a message back he slipped his phone back into his pocket, giving Ignis an encouraging little squeeze as he felt him slowly calming down. He could feel the slight hitch in his shoulders still, but he figured it was finally alright to try and remedy some of this hurt.

“First of all… I want you to know that running away like that isn’t childish, though you’ve definitely scared a few people if my texts are anything to go by. Regis, Clarus and your Uncle are tearing apart the Citadel trying to find you right now,” he said, getting a terrified and tear streaked face looking up at him for his troubles. “They aren’t angry, I can tell you that. They are worried, but not angry. And don’t worry about Prince Noctis. Do you know how many stuffed carbuncles and behemoths I’ve had thrown at me because he doesn’t play games fairly?” he asked, getting a little, watery smile from the tiny Adviser, though the kid tried to hide it.

Cor offered him a smile at that and continued. “I’m sorry for what he said to you though. I know the Prince doesn’t mean it. He is still little and he doesn’t exactly get told no or that he’s wrong a lot. What you did in trying to teach him the right way was… well… right. You’re being tasked with a lot, Ignis. You’re still little yourself and people are asking you to act like a little guardian and well beyond your years. I’m definitely going to be having a talk with that tutor of yours though. If it’s Mr. Harghen’s then it will be a  _ pleasure. _ Do you know how many bad marks he gave me in my classes? If he’s gonna pick on you then he’s picking a fight with me. Okay?”

Ignis’s eyes widened as he heard that.

Cor the Immortal was going to tell off his tutor? And he also had trouble sometimes with the Prince?

Ignis sniffled and wiped at his eyes, a little smile appearing on his face as someone seemed to finally be noticing the troubles he’d been dealing with. Not only that… they were listening to him and not treating him like he was being too childish to pay attention to… or too grown up to need the attention.

Cor was simply listening to him and helping him through his troubles.

“Thank you, Mr. Cor Marshal,” Ignis said with a little nod, feeling like for the first time in weeks someone was actually seeing him. Was taking time to listen and understand.

“Anytime, Ignis.” Cor said, giving the kids hair a little ruffle and even getting a little giggle for his troubles. “Now. I know there are three people keen to see you again back at your Uncles… and a little Prince who wants to apologize to his  _ friend. _ ”

Ignis’s hands paused where they were fixing his hair and he looked up at Cor wide-eyed. “Really? He… he’s not mad at me anymore?” he asked.

Cor shook his head. “I think he regrets saying what he did to you. He’s never wanted to apologize for throwing stuffed moogles at me so… I think you’ve already taught him a few good lessons don’t you?” he asked and Ignis nodded, smiling a bit more as he heard that.

“Come on, kid. I’ll escort you back. Perhaps we can stop along the way to talk to that tutor of yours,” Cor offered as he stood up.

Ignis smiled more at that and giggled, scooting off the bench.

Cor was just typing out a message on his phone saying that they were on their way when he felt a small hand take his free one.

Looking down he caught an equally surprised Ignis glancing up at him in return. Apparently the tiny tot hadn’t meant to do it, almost looking ashamed for doing something so childish. But Cor merely gave him a smile and offered a little squeeze to his hand. “You don’t mind holding hands, right? It gets busy in the halls around this time and I don’t want to get lost,” he said, watching as Ignis’s expression went from shock and shame to a more relaxed if slightly skeptical one.

“You’re a soldier. You wouldn’t get lost,” he said, though he didn’t let go of Cors hand as they began to make their way out of the gardens.

“You don’t know that. Maybe I get lost all the time? King Regis does. He has terrible navigational skills,” he offered, smiling more when he heard Ignis giggling beside him.

Ignis smiled up at the Immortal and shook his head. Perhaps… this wasn’t the worst day of his life.

Someone had finally seen him.


End file.
